James River & Kanawha Canal

By Bernard Fisher, October 25, 2009

1. James River & Kanawha Canal Marker

Inscription. The James River and Kanawha Canal was completed as far as Buchanan in 1854. The canal provided a continuous navigable waterway from Tidewater to Buchanan, a distance of 197 miles. Consisting of ninety lift locks and a total lift of seven hundred and twenty-eight feet, traffic on the canal flourished to its peak in the late 1850's. With the expansion of railroads the canal suffered heavily, and in 1880 was sold to the Richmond and Allegheny Railroad Company, who built tracks along the towpaths of the canal. That company was sold to the Chesapeake and Ohio Railway Company, which is now CSX.

Location. 37° 32.042′ N, 77° 26.14′ W. Marker is in Richmond, Virginia. Marker can be reached from the intersection of South 12th Street and East Byrd Street. Touch for map. This marker is on the Richmond Riverfront Canal Walk between S 12th Street and Virginia Street. Marker is in this post office area: Richmond VA 23219, United States of America.

More about this marker. On the left side of the panel is a map carrying the caption, "Left: Details from Maps and Profiles of the James River and Kanawha Canal and Its Connections drawn by E[dwuard] Lorraine, C.E., 1857. Courtesy of the Library of Virginia

On the bottom right of the panel is a color illustration carrying the caption, "Below: Illustration of the James River Canal near the mouth of the North River from Edward Beyer's Album of Virginia, 1858. Courtesy of the Library of Virginia

On the bottom left of the panel is a diagram carrying the caption, "Below Left: Diagram based on Maps and Profiles of the James River and Kanawha Canal and Its Connections drawn by E[dwuard] Lorraine, C.E., 1857,

By Bernard Fisher, October 25, 2009

3. Richmond Riverfront Canal Walk

showing total lift and lock locations (vertical bars) between Richmond and Buchanan.

Credits. This page was last revised on June 16, 2016. This page originally submitted on October 30, 2009, by Bernard Fisher of Mechanicsville, Virginia. This page has been viewed 2,337 times since then and 42 times this year. Photos:1, 2, 3, 4, 5. submitted on October 30, 2009, by Bernard Fisher of Mechanicsville, Virginia.